Vikki Patis – Weltanschauung Review

Weltanschauung is a book of short stories each of which stands one its own. I had the pleasure of reading each of these stories long before they were collected for this book. Now, after reading them again as a set, I see how well they all work together. These stories look at losing someone close, how death affects us and how choices can have significant effects. Vikki Patis gives us many strong female protagonists with a voice and unique personality. In the first short, Zombie, Lieutenant Mark Walker, a young solder, has lost his way mentally. He sees shadows surrounding him and equates them with the enemy. His mind has betrayed him and all is not as it appears. He’s been hiding so long now he isn’t sure what’s real anymore. Vikki does a great job of presenting Mark as a man in crisis and hiding as if his life depends on it. He thinks he is the last of his group who survive a zombie attack, only to learn it’s all in his mind. The misdirection leaves the ending a total surprise.

Only if, is a sad and tragic story of two sisters and what happens one night at a party. Each are overwhelmed by guilt leaving one sister pushed to the edge. This story shows us that what happens can be beyond our control and that our decisions have consequences. This theme carries over to the next story, Grave oversight. Simon is a simple man and his life runs on automatic, in a loop. This is the life Simon is comfortable with until a memory he has suppressed comes rushing back to the surface. It only takes a smell to bring it all back and now he can’t ignore his choices anymore. Reading grave oversight filled me with the anxiety that Simon felt, and in the end couldn’t ignore anymore. The ending was shocking and again nicely hidden until we are meant to see it.

The final story, Bane, sends us to the apocalypse and Red Mist. A virus is spreading across the country, and with it a conspiracy. Rachael is the last employee alive at the medical supply company. The virus has claimed her coworkers and boss. The unease of being alone, even in the daytime, is strong enough to feel. A women named Lucy appears from nowhere and informs Rachael she now works for The Bank. Lucy tells her to gather her belongings and there is much work to be done. Her new job is to find supplies and survivors. This is just the type of job Rachael has always wanted, to be the one to save the world. For Rachael the rewards are high and so are the costs. Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it in the end.

The harbinger, the oddball, the remaining twin… Weltanschauung seeks to open your eyes to different stories, set in different worlds and at different times, but with the same theme in mind: to make you question your worldview.

This collection of short stories traverses genres, introduces a variety of characters, and shines a light on some of our deepest fears.

Challenge your perceptions.

Vikki Patis, biography

Vikki Patis is a writer and blogger at The Bandwagon, where she reviews books, interviews authors, and gives her opinions on a wide variety of topics, from feminism to fibromyalgia.